So what particular characteristic does this canopy have that makes it so dangerous compared to a say a comp velo 71 that has no such restrictions? Is this any different to what PD has done for years? (Sponsor top pilots and supply them with the latest canopy/line set/rds) Judging from the serial numbers of my comp velos, I would imagine there is such a small market for these canopies that there is no money to be made selling them to the public anyway.

you might argue that the "dealer" implicitly gives the reference when placing the order.

I'm intrigued by the idea of applying technology from high aspect ratio gliders/paragliders to relatively low aspect ratio, pressurised wings. I'd imagine its taken a lot of work to get the Peregrine and Petra to inflate nicely and maintain pressure at low speed. maybe the rule is fly it fast!

So what particular characteristic does this canopy have that makes it so dangerous compared to a say a comp velo 71 that has no such restrictions? Is this any different to what PD has done for years? (Sponsor top pilots and supply them with the latest canopy/line set/rds) Judging from the serial numbers of my comp velos, I would imagine there is such a small market for these canopies that there is no money to be made selling them to the public anyway.

It is nice a thing that they are willing to sell to some selected and qualified people outside of PD Factory team.

I remember reading somewhere that with R&D factored in and the extra production complexity, the comp velo was effectively sold at a loss, at the last world meet I attended there were just over 100 competitors in total, so not such a big market at all.

Perhaps to create perceived brand value through exclusivity is a better strategy as that perceived value applies to all the other products sold in volume.

I dont believe that all the pilots who have been jumping, training and competing for years on velos, then comp velos or even JVXs are all of a sudden rendered unqualified to fly this new wing, and find the implication insulting and patronising.

I have never had a problem with the factory team and other selected pilots competing on experimental wings and technology, as once the testing was completed to a high standard, it then filtered down to the rest of us.

I think this new strategy by PD to create a two tier system is a real shame.

I just hope the NZ Aerosports Petra is made more widely available when released, as im not in danger of winning a world championship any time soon to be having PD offer me the chance to spend my cash with them.

dont believe that all the pilots who have been jumping, training and competing for years on velos, then comp velos or even JVXs are all of a sudden rendered unqualified to fly this new wing, and find the implication insulting and patronising.

Neither does PD. Which is why those pilots, if performing well and safely, are getting invites to try out the wing. It's not like only the top 5 pilots in the world are going to gain access to them. I already know of quite a few people who've been contacted.

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I think this new strategy by PD to create a two tier system is a real shame.

I dont believe that all the pilots who have been jumping, training and competing for years on velos, then comp velos or even JVXs are all of a sudden rendered unqualified to fly this new wing, and find the implication insulting and patronising.

You're assuming that those pilots can all fly their current wings to 100% of their capability.

Let's say the new canopy is 10% better then the Comp Velo. That might not seem like alot, but when you're out at the far end of the performance spectrum, the gains are harder to come by, so 10% would be a good step up.

So you have a canopy that's 10% better, so unless you can get 90% or better out of the new canopy, you might as well just fly a Comp Velo, and keep working toward that 100%. Unless you're already maxed on the Comp Velo, a faster canopy is just a waste of fabric.

The other side of the coin is that once you distill the market down so far, like they did by building an 'ultra-ultra-high-performance canopy', the idea of 'marketing' goes right out the window. You're never, flat out never, going to sell enough of these to make putting them into production a profitable venture. Think about it, the Perregrine requires the same number of patterns, same line-set specs and diagrams, same operator training to build, same mountain of paperwork behind it as any other canopy they build. Sure, a Sabre 2 might be half the price of what they would charge for a Peregrine, but they're going to sell 10x or 20x (or more) S2's than Peregrines.

So why not keep a lid on it? Think that's different than any other competitive arena? Race cars, golf clubs, skiis, running shoes, etc. all feature 'pro' gear that only the sponsored althletes can get their hands on. At least in this instancce, they're willing to consider sending some of the canopies 'outside the family', which is better than we've ever got out of them in the past. How many different versions of the Velo do you think we never got our hands on, while the PD Team guys were using them to win big?

How many different versions of the Velo do you think we never got our hands on, while the PD Team guys were using them to win big?

Kinda brings to mind the idea of a NASCAR swooping comp, doesn't it?

Wouldn't it be fun to see what everyone can do on the same wing? Even if it was just an informal 'fun' gig, maybe like a scrambles meet where the canopy is drawn by lot on the say, I'd pay beer to watch that...